Us: 7 Ways Jordan Peele Defies Modern Horror Conventions
3. The Dual Scopes
In the beginning, Us appears set to deliver a home invasion plot similar to other horror films such as The Strangers or The Purge. Midway through, the scope broadens with the reveal that the Wilsons are not by far the only family with Tethered counterparts. The story shifts gears into something almost reminiscent of a zombie film when the Wilsons hop in their car to flee Santa Cruz in search of safety.
Even when the scope broadens, the intimate nature of the story never quite dissipates. The Tethered may be joining hands across America, but the Wilson family is still primarily concerned with fighting their own shadows. A notable scene involving the Wilsons' friends, a well-chosen NWA song and a boat named B-Yacht'ch stands as the only significant diversion from this central conflict.
The choice to retain this intimate focus despite the wide scope of the story serves to enhance the central theme of the film. Jordan Peele confirmed in an interview with Yahoo that Us acts as both a social commentary and a personal one, and the central conflict reveals that the latter commentary is perhaps the most urgent. One may lament the state of their nation, but their own shadow side is a far more immediate threat. The Wilsons cannot take on all of the Tethered, but they can at least slay their own dark reflections.
Attempts at meaningful commentary are not uncommon in the world of horror. Both of the home invasion films referenced above use their stories to carry deeper themes. Us, however, manages to attack its message - that we are our own worst enemies - from two entirely different angles at once. This allows for greater variety of interpretation, and a group of friends may easily walk out of the theatre together having each heard an entirely different part of the message.